3-On-3 Basketball
3-On-3 Basketball is a sports game in development by Tanoshii Urban Entertainment. It was released in turn 3 for PSN and Xbox Live. Gameplay 3-On-3 Basketball is a multiplayer-online sports game. There are three modes: a training mode in which the player plays a 1-on-1 game against an AI opponent, a 1-on-1 mode against another player online, and the 3-on-3 mode in which the player is placed on a team against other online opponents. There are seven players, five of which are unlocked by playing online games (and are unlocked faster if the player wins those games). Each player has different strengths and weaknesses listed in their description. The basic offensive controls are A (X on the PS3) to sprint, X (Square) to shoot/dunk, B (Circle) to pass, and Y (Triangle) to take a hop-step and rebound. On defense, A is still sprint, B and X have the defender play close to the offender (it can cause turnovers, but can also allow the offensive player to dribble around the defender), and Y blocks and rebounds. An added feature is the Highlight-Reel Dunk. Once a player's meter (which can rise from making shots, gaining assists, rebounding, blocking, causing turnovers, etc.) is high, they can perform that player's signature dunk (each player has one), which will result in a guaranteed bucket. A Highlight-Reel Dunk cannot be made to win the game, however. Leaderboards exist counting players' wins, wins with a specific character, and averages with each character. Characters/Courts Darnell-Unlocked from the start. A local street-baller, Darnell is quick as lightening and a decent shooter. His size is a setback, however. Speed - 4, Shooting - 3, Dunking - 2, Rebounding - 1, Defense - 2 Missy - Unlocked from the start. Missy is used to playing with the boys, and beating them too. She is a sure-shot against any opponent. Speed - 3, Shooting - 4, Dunking - 1, Rebounding - 2, Defense - 2 Tiny - Unlocked after 5 wins/10 games. A big man in every way, Tiny is a force in the paint. He may not run fat, but he can throw it down with authority. Speed - 1, Shooting - 2, Dunking - 4, Rebounding - 4, Defense - 3 Nicko - Unlocked after 10 wins/20 games. Nicko is a pure athlete, running like the wind and with hops like Jordan. He may be the smallest man on the court, but more often than not he is the best man on the court. Speed - 5, Shooting - 3, Dunking - 5, Rebounding - 1, Defense 2 Malcolm - Unlocked after 20 wins/40 games. The ever-flashy Malcolm is the definition of an all-around player. He is decent in every aspect of the game. Maybe it's the shoes, or the jewelry. Speed - 3, Shooting - 3, Dunking - 3, Rebounding - 3, Defense - 3 Mr. Splashman - Unlocked after 35 wins/70 games. The oldest man on the court, Mr. Splashman has played the best to come out of this city. Even in his old age, he can still drill it from downtown. Speed - 2, Shooting - 5, Dunking - 2, Rebounding - 4, Defense - 2 Juwanjo - Unlocked after 50 wins/100 games. Born on the New Orleans bayou, Juwanjo is a true monster. His dunking ability is unparalleled, he can shoot well, and his defense is unmatched. Truly a great player. Speed - 2, Shooting - 3, Dunking - 5, Rebounding - 3, Defense - 4 The four playable courts are The Driveway, The Playground, City Park, and The Rooftop. They are chosen at random. Soundtrack The game features generic hip-hop and techno beats. There are five songs: one for the menus and oen for each level. Post-Release The game suffered server connection issues upon release. Tanoshii Urban Entertainment acknowledged these issues, and promised to resolve them. In turn 4, a patch was released, fixing the server connection issues. Ad Campaign 3-On-3's ad campaign was minimal, with multiplayer being the focus. Sales 3-On-3 Basketball was releaed in turn 3, and sold a total of 153,000 units across PSN/Xbox Live. It was the best selling digital title of turn 3. Reveal In turn 1, a spokesperson from Tanoshii Urban Entertainment announced the title, and revealed it would be priced at $5.99, along with featuring multiplayer. Reviews 3-On-3 Basketball has received positive to mixed reviews, with common critisisms including server issues, but all reviewers agreeing that this injects life into the all-but-dead arcade basketball genre. IGN "3-On-3 Basketball isn't a game you'll be talking about 5 years from now, but what it is is fun. Despite a little too many noticeable server issues that should've been ironed out, the game provides a baseline arcade basketball experience that can easily eat up a few hours of your time. I can't shake the feeling that it was a little rushed in development, but at $5.99, these drawbacks don't even come close to counteracting the sheer amount of fun you can have here. This is what arcade basketball fans have been missing." SCORE: 7/10 GAMESPOT "For a game that's so fun, I can't not acknowledge the server issues. It sucks that I was forced into playing against the training bot for a long while. But, at the same time, I wasn't forcing myself to play against the bot, the game was just that fun, I wanted to keep playing. This is a really fun sports game, and for $5.99, I'd recommend it to even passive sports fans. The multiplayer, particualrly the 3-on-3, is a blast. This isn't a game about the best graphics or the most refining gameplay. It's about fun." SCORE: 6.5/10 GAMETRAILERS "This is the kind of game where you get what you pay for, and a little more. Yes, there's some server issues, but when the online works, it's amazing. I love the unlockables, I love the gameplay, and the controls are tight and responsive. This is what the digital market needs, and Tanoshii Urban Entertainment was successful with their first release, amidst a few stumbles." SCORE: 8/10 Category:Games